Escaping the drop hasn't changed Rob Andrew's view that no relegation and a franchise system is the way forward for the Premiership and English rugby.

The Newcastle manager was as shell-shocked as anyone else after the Falcons hung in to win against Saracens and complete the great escape - they were bottom of the table and six points adrift on February 1.

"I have had my say on relegation and I'm not going to change my view now that we're safe," said the Newcastle manager, "because I know from a business point of view, relegation is disastrous.

"It probably does mean the end of your business. I don't know how anyone can reconcile the business side and the sports side.

"While I think there is still financial life within the first division of soccer, there is no financial life in the first division of rugby, if we're honest, in terms of support, crowds, sponsorship beyond the top two or three sides.

"It is effectively a semi-pro if not an amateur sport in the first division. I think there is no answer to this debate. You have to find the sporting argument extremely compelling after what we have seen over the last seven weeks and I would have said that even if we had lost to Saracens.

"The sporting issue has just been extraordinary not just from us but every game - London Irish, Harlequins Saracens, Bristol, Bath and ourselves. You can name them all and chuck them all into the melting pot.

"Quins have just managed to keep their nose out of the mire but everyone else has been fighting for their lives and it's not over yet and will go to next week and thank goodness we're not one of the sides who can now go down."

Since February 1 when they were dead and buried, the Falcons have won five of their last seven games, picking up points in every match and now go to Bath on Saturday safe from the dreaded drop and, incredibly, in with a chance of clinching a Premiership wild card place and qualifying for next season's Heineken European Cup.

After Sunday night's 26-22 win in front of 9,000 noisy fans at Kingston Park, Andrew said: "I don't think I've been through anything like the last seven games.

"To achieve what we have achieved by avoiding relegation given where we started on the February 1 is as good as anything I have been involved in. It's just astonishing. Every game we have played has been an absolute cliffhanger.

"We stopped and froze to be honest at 26-10 and very nearly played ourselves out of the game. The way we played in the last 10 minutes without Stuart Grimes (in the sinbin) and Mark Andrews having already gone off injured and Epi Taione not starting, was a remarkable achievement as was what we have done in the last seven games."

Springbok lock Mark Andrews suffered another shoulder and rib injury and must be doubtful for the Bath game along with Taione whose knee is causing concern and Andrew denied it was a gamble playing Andrews.

Then he said: "You can't believe how good it feels not having to go to Bath to win to stay up, but we still have a lot to play for. The season is not finished by any stretch of the imagination but it's almost better than winning the championship."